Wrestler Yoshida captures 11th national title

Saori Yoshida captured her 11th women’s 55-kg title on Monday, the final day of the Japan national championships.

Yoshida, who has won 11 consecutive world championships and three straight Olympic gold medals in the division, defeated Chiho Hamada in the final to resume her nationals winning streak after missing last year’s competition.

Kaori Icho won the 59-kg crown by technical fall over Katsuki Sakagami. Icho is the winner of three consecutive Olympic titles at 63 kg. The victory brought her total of national titles in the two divisions to 10.

Kyoko Hamaguchi extended her record national championship haul to 16. The 35-year-old won the 72-kg category for the first time in two years.

In men’s Greco-Roman, Hideyuki Otoizumi won the 66-kg division to earn his first Japan crown by defeating Ryutaro Matsumoto, who won the 60-kg bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Norikatsu Saikawa won his third straight 96-kg crown.

Tomotsugu Ishida won his second consecutive 66-kg freestyle title, while Noriyuki Takatsuka won at 60 kg for his second career national championship and his first in six years.